Research shows that a concept known as self-efficacy can improve quality of life, boost confidence, and offer hope for people with neurologic conditions. Here’s how it works.
When Virginia Cofer was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2013, she was shaken to her core. “It rocked my world,” says the 54-year-old Chicago resident. “It made me wonder what I would do and who I was now.”
For years she struggled with those questions, and as her symptoms got worse, so did her self-doubt. Was she really a respected and accomplished professional? What would she do without her beloved outlet of long-distance cycling? She found herself increasingly focusing on loss—of her profession, her passion, her identity—and mired in despair and hopelessness.